Michael Owen (now retired)

[Dave]

London's too full-on for me, just relentless 24/7.

[Pilko]

Go to London - you'll either be mugged or not appreciated.

[Rocker]

Go to London - you'll either be mugged or not appreciated.

 

Catch the train to London, stopping at Rejection, Disappointment, Backstabbing Central and Shattered Dreams Parkway.

[Fenham Mag]

I used to be like that but I guess you have to live somewhere before making judgement. 

[Interpolic]

The cunt quota is relatively high in some places, no doubt about it. Probably helps me that I have a couple of mates from home down here and also work with lots of lovely people around my age.

[Dinho lad]

I deal with London residents as my company has a contract there....... they're not a nice bunch, are they? In fact, they're cunts, fucking cunts.

[TaylorJ_01]

I deal with London residents as my company has a contract there....... they're not a nice bunch, are they? In fact, they're c***s, f***ing c***s.

 

Progressive anger was excellent there

[Tiresias]

To be fair to them they see us savages from the desolate north east and are scared for their lives

[Dinho lad]

I deal with London residents as my company has a contract there....... they're not a nice bunch, are they? In fact, they're c***s, f***ing c***s.

 

Progressive anger was excellent there

 

 

No, no, I was being calm. I just think they're cunts.

 

Nice place, London, though.

[Theregulars]

As a pretty much lifelong Londoner this is a really interesting conversation. I think London can be daunting, overwhelming and downright hostile when you don't know too many people down here and you come down on a "solo" venture, like working without having a contacts base. If you go to university or school here, or start a graduate job with others at the same time - just anything where you have people to talk to and spend time with - then London is a fantastic place where you can create so many good memories. It's an incredible city for music, film, art, literature and theatre; it's a brilliant place if you are interested in history and architecture just by walking around, it's got a world-class intellectual reputation and a beautify university quarter; it's one of the best places in the world for any kind of dining, but especially market food; and it's one of the greatest places on earth to get pissed in. And that's not mentioning things like the beautiful parks, the absolute mega range of people you might meet and places/cultures you might learn about or things you might try.

 

But at the same time, the weather is just grim, for every lovely place there is an absolute dive just round the corner, there are far, far too many people, there are on obscene amount of pretentious people, hostile people, rude people, arrogant people and ignorant people. Lots of public infrastructure doesn't work and it's just expected as standard, especially parts of the tube which don't run sometimes for no reason and roadworks never end. Everything is stupidly expensive, especially rent which is obscene and council tax. It's really difficult to find a quiet moment for yourself or hear yourself think sometimes, and getting anywhere takes forever.

 

On balance it isn't in my top 5 cities, but it's in my top ten. I don't think you can just say "it's shit", I think you've got to be fairly oblivious not to be able to find something to your taste in London.

[Kaizero]

I couldn't live in London. Too crowded, too many tossers, and it doesn't feel like England to me anymore.  All the English have escaped north!

The line about there not being anything to do up here is bollocks. If you enjoy clean air, walking, bike riding, surfing, whatever, you can do it all in the NE, as well as having the benefits of a lively city.

 

Many, many northerners have "escaped" south as well actually, mainly with work as the main reason but there are lots down here nonetheless. And in terms of stuff most people like to do in their 20s - eating, drinking, generally getting entertained in one way or another - there is simply lots more to do down here and you therefore don't find yourself in the same old places. Not slagging off Newcastle because I love it and will go back when we're settling down but London gets a lot of stick simply because it's London IMO.

 

Capitol related anger tbh. It's prevalent in more countries. Norwegians not livining in Oslo hates Oslo, for no good reason really. Same goes with most Swedes I know regarding Stockholm as well. If you're not from there or have lived there you generelly grow up being told what a shit place it is filled with this and that and so on.

 

Then you also get the "natives" of capitols hating everyone not living there for no good reason. Basically people in the city rhinking everyone not there are backwards cunts and everyone not in the city thinking everyone there are cunts.

[Fenham Mag]

How did this start btw?

[Guest neesy111]

London has it's up and downsides like every city in the UK/world.

 

I sadly had a shit job (lied about) when I went down to work there for 18 months.  Though I'm perfectly happy up North again and I do feel I'm better off earning slightly less as I am now but I will be able to get onto the housing ladder etc, which is something that is near impossible in London.

 

London is very crowded, the rat race is very stressful but there is plenty of things to do.  Something else missed upon is the ridiculous amount of places you can fly to via Easy Jet and RyanAir for a weekend away.

[Guest neesy111]

How did this start btw?

 

Suarez and Arsenal?

[Interpolic]

As a pretty much lifelong Londoner this is a really interesting conversation. I think London can be daunting, overwhelming and downright hostile when you don't know too many people down here and you come down on a "solo" venture, like working without having a contacts base. If you go to university or school here, or start a graduate job with others at the same time - just anything where you have people to talk to and spend time with - then London is a fantastic place where you can create so many good memories. It's an incredible city for music, film, art, literature and theatre; it's a brilliant place if you are interested in history and architecture just by walking around, it's got a world-class intellectual reputation and a beautify university quarter; it's one of the best places in the world for any kind of dining, but especially market food; and it's one of the greatest places on earth to get pissed in. And that's not mentioning things like the beautiful parks, the absolute mega range of people you might meet and places/cultures you might learn about or things you might try.

 

But at the same time, the weather is just grim, for every lovely place there is an absolute dive just round the corner, there are far, far too many people, there are on obscene amount of pretentious people, hostile people, rude people, arrogant people and ignorant people. Lots of public infrastructure doesn't work and it's just expected as standard, especially parts of the tube which don't run sometimes for no reason and roadworks never end. Everything is stupidly expensive, especially rent which is obscene and council tax. It's really difficult to find a quiet moment for yourself or hear yourself think sometimes, and getting anywhere takes forever.

 

On balance it isn't in my top 5 cities, but it's in my top ten. I don't think you can just say "it's shit", I think you've got to be fairly oblivious not to be able to find something to your taste in London.

 

Excellent post, only things I disagree with are about everything being expensive when in fact it's mainly the rent which is extortionate and also taking ages to get anywhere, as we live in a place with good transport links and can get to most places in 40 minutes, tops. As I say though, good post.

[madras]

horses for courses, i've always preferred the open spaces. there was a time when half my mates lived in London and visiting them was OK (great to see them etc) but the place left me cold. more bands to see but i'm not a fan of seeing bands for the sake of it, they have to be my faves. London does have it's advantages but so close to the coast, so close to the cheviots and lakes edges it for me. maybe because i've been brought up here but Newcastle is just about right size wise for me. small enough to walk easily, but still big enough to be anonymous in. I've had the choice on a few occasions to move down south and there just wasn't enough in it for me.

[Disco]

Arguably the best city on Earth for more or less everything but wouldn't want to live/work there. Too much stress/hassle.

[henke]

I'm 36 and will be properly visiting London for the first time in October, can't fucking wait to be honest. I've been to the cup final and caught the tube from the station to Heathrow before but that doesn't count.

 

Just thought i'd hoy that in.

[Interpolic]

Arguably the best city on Earth for more or less everything but wouldn't want to live/work there. Too much stress/hassle.

 

I genuinely feel like I don't have a lot of stress or hassle in my life that I can put down to being in London, I suppose I must just be used to it. When I first moved down here I thought it was pure bedlam though.

 

[Oakie Doke]

I'm 36 and will be properly visiting London for the first time in October, can't f***ing wait to be honest. I've been to the cup final and caught the tube from the station to Heathrow before but that doesn't count.

 

Just thought i'd hoy that in.

A bit of advice: wear gloves. You'll know why when you get there.

[Interpolic]

Where do you live, Oakie?

[Disco]

Arguably the best city on Earth for more or less everything but wouldn't want to live/work there. Too much stress/hassle.

 

I genuinely feel like I don't have a lot of stress or hassle in my life that I can put down to being in London, I suppose I must just be used to it. When I first moved down here I thought it was pure bedlam though.

 

 

May well be true but I know your travelling on to work & hours at work will be worse than mine. I'm a lazy fucker though.

[Tiresias]

For the record for jumping on teh london hate early on, I actually have enjoyed plenty of visits to the capital and sure that the idiot to decent person ratio is probably no different than anywhere else, and I love the scale of it, I wish I had more time to explore it.

 

I did also feel I'd been mugged by all the prices mind, and does seem just too busy for me to cope, I think the problem is visiting it you don't find the quiet places. The people on the underground seemed rather rude too.

[Interpolic]

Arguably the best city on Earth for more or less everything but wouldn't want to live/work there. Too much stress/hassle.

 

I genuinely feel like I don't have a lot of stress or hassle in my life that I can put down to being in London, I suppose I must just be used to it. When I first moved down here I thought it was pure bedlam though.

 

 

May well be true but I know your travelling on to work & hours at work will be worse than mine. I'm a lazy fucker though.

 

I'm really lucky travel-wise, I should get the bus because it's cheaper but have worked out that getting the tube allows me to get out of bed at 8am and rush like fuck to get out the door by 8.30 and still get in by 9.  My hours at work have fluctuated like hell, I rarely work more than 40 or so hours a week at the minute but have went through spells there where 50-55 hours was normal, and I can feel it getting busier again.  I'm also a lazy fucker but will put in the extra work and travel if/when needed.

 

For the record for jumping on teh london hate early on, I actually have enjoyed plenty of visits to the capital and sure that the idiot to decent person ratio is probably no different than anywhere else, and I love the scale of it, I wish I had more time to explore it.

 

I did also feel I'd been mugged by all the prices mind, and does seem just too busy for me to cope, I think the problem is visiting it you don't find the quiet places. The people on the underground seemed rather rude too.

 

The underground is the pits at times, rush hour on that thing is when I really need to rein myself in and not get pissed off by the inhumanity of it all.

[Cajun]

I'm not really a fan of London.

 

I think It's a mix of not really knowing where the best places are and being someone who has simple needs. I do much prefer Newcastle as everything I want is in walking distance and I remember where it all is

 

Growing up in quite a small, basic town is probably the reason for this